This blog records events and opinions from a Devon and Cornwall viewpoint. Although primarily concerned with Devon and Cornwall it will sometimes comment on national or international matters. But my personal bias is towards Devon and Cornwall.

Friday, 23 March 2007

That was the budget that was

Well that is I assume Gordon Brown's last budget and as usual a large part of it was spent patting himself on the back. The most talked about aspect was his cut in the basic tax rate to 20p; funnily enough he was a little less vocal about removing the basic starter rate of 10p. Strange that! Although he has tidied up the tax system to a certain extent and that I welcome in principle he has been berated in much of the media and many blogs for producing a tax con.

Of course the budget reply has to be the worst parliamentary event of the year for a Leader of the Opposition. Gordon's 'tax cut' came right at the end of his speech - an old trick to wrong foot the other parties. I think Cameron was doing quite well but then the BBC cut him off in mid flow. I'm not a supporter of any one political party but surely for a sense of balance we should have been permitted to see the FULL response of David Cameron and also that of Ming Campbell for that matter.

I noticed that BBC political editor Nick Robinson was awestruck by Brown but was really taken to task by some commenters on his blog. In fact he made a second blog entry on the budget in which he seemed to retract his position a little.

As everyone thought the worst polluting vehicles are going to be clobbered with a hike in vehicle excise duty (VED). Superficially this sounds good but as I had explained previously it isn't in so far as people who need 4 wheel drive vehicles which might be more polluting in use don't have this choice. People like Brown produce these policies without thinking them through.